From 1st April 2015 bidders for all government projects with a capital value of more than £50m will have to prove that they invest in an appropriate level of training for their workforce.
Government buyers will also be encouraged to introduce similar requirements, where appropriate, in lower value projects.
Unfortunately, the government does not actually know how much training construction companies ought to be delivering (or purchasing). So skills minister Nick Boles has commissioned the Construction Leadership Council to produce a definition of what constitutes “good company skills performance” to formulate an appropriate specification “to help determine the types of behaviors [sic] government procurers should look for”.
While the new requirements are aimed at government buyers, including executive agencies and other public bodies, BIS said that it could in due course be extended to the regulated private sector, such as utility companies.
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